North Africa’s Security
Security | Defense | Terrorism
Burkina Faso Faces New Security Tensions Amid Coup Allegations
Burkina Faso saw a surge in political tension after warnings of a possible destabilization attempt triggered overnight mobilizations in Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso. Security forces placed several military sites on alert as arrests were reported and social media claims pointed to internal and external actors. While the scale of the threat remains unclear, the episode reflects persistent instability under the country’s military transition and raises questions about internal cohesion, governance, and the long-term outlook for political order.
SECURITY & DEFENSE
Sahel: UN peacekeeping mission in Mali at risk amid shortage of troops
By Amélie Bottolier-Depois: The UN peacekeeping mission in Mali is "unsustainable" without more personnel, according to a draft UN report obtained by AFP, which suggests a possible withdrawal of troops if key conditions are not met. The mission, known by its acronym...
Sahel: Jihadist violence intensifies in Burkina Faso
Attacks in Burkina Faso have increased since October and now especially target civilians, according to junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traore, who took power last year on a vow to quell jihadist violence. The extremists are switching tactics to focus on civilians, Traore...
Sahel: Jihadists in Burkina Faso also abduct children and babies
Investigators now believe that last week's raid by suspected jihadists in Burkina Faso led to the abduction of around 60 women, girls and babies, a regional prosecutor said Thursday. Earlier reports had suggested that around 50 women had been taken, said a statement...
Sahel: Russia strengthens its presence in the Sahel with delivery of warplanes to Mali
Mali's military rulers received more warplanes and helicopters from Russia Thursday, an AFP correspondent noted, the latest in a series of deliveries from its new top military and political ally. AFP counted eight planes and two helicopters at a ceremony attended by...
Mali: Security agents remain targets of attacks in Mali, four killed in Segou
Four gendarmes were killed and three others injured on Sunday after being ambushed in western Mali, a region prone to jihadist attacks, the paramilitary police said. Two police vehicles were torched and two others, equipped with machine guns, were captured by the...
Tunisia: Nine women sentenced to prison for plotting to kill government minister
Tunisia has jailed nine members of an all-women "terrorist" gang accused of plotting to assassinate a government minister, media reported Thursday. In the North African nation's first known case of an all-woman jihadist group, two of the ringleaders were jailed for 25...
Sahel: Nine killed in mosque attack in Burkina Faso’s Sahel province
Nine people were killed when suspected jihadists attacked a mosque in northeastern Burkina Faso, local sources said Thursday. The attack happened at around nightfall on Wednesday in the village of Goulgountou in Burkina's Sahel region, when assailants arrived on...
Sahel: Troop toll from Mali jihadist clash rises to 14 dead, 31 “terrorists killed”
Fourteen Malian soldiers were killed in a clash with jihadists this week, the army said Thursday, giving a new toll in an attack claimed by an Al-Qaeda-linked group. Fighting erupted when an army unit was hit by roadside bombs between the towns of Mopti and Segou in...
Insurgencies: Three alleged members of Islamic State group arrested in Morocco and Spain
Moroccan and Spanish authorities have broken up a jihadist cell linked to the Islamic State group and arrested its three members in a joint operation, Morocco's security services said Wednesday. One of the "extremist elements" was arrested by special forces from...
Sahel: Several killed in army-Jihadists confrontation in central Mali
At least 12 soldiers died in clashes with jihadists in central Mali, army and police officers said on Wednesday. The fighting on Tuesday between the towns of Mopti and Segou also left seven jihadists dead, the army said overnight, giving an earlier toll of three...
INSURGENCIES & TERRORISM
Beyond the Sahel: Jihadi contagion spreads to the Ivory Coast
Korhogo, Ivory Coast, June 11, 2020 - Dozens of suspected jihadists attacked a frontier post on Ivory Coast's border with Burkina Faso before dawn on Thursday, killing around 10 soldiers, security sources said. It is the first assault by Islamist extremists on Ivorian...
Libya: Haftar’s landmines kill more civilians in Tripoli
Tripoli, June 10, 2020 - Landmine blasts killed at least seven people including civilians on the edges of Libya's capital Wednesday, wounding 10 others, the unity government's health ministry said. "Seven people were killed in landmine explosions in several locations...
Libya: With their protégé warlord Haftar losing the war, Egypt and UAE want a ceasefire
The United Arab Emirates on Monday backed an Egyptian peace initiative in Libya after a series of military victories by forces loyal to Tripoli's UN-recognised government against strongman Khalifa Haftar. Haftar -- who is backed by the UAE and Egypt -- also supported...
Libya: Warlord Khalifa Haftar uses landmines against civilians in Tripoli
Tripoli, June 3, 2020 - Human Rights Watch on Wednesday accused Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar's forces of laying Russian landmines in residential southern suburbs of the capital. "An armed group and affiliates fighting for control of the Libyan capital...
Burkina Faso: Insurgents ambush vendors in Loroum, kill 15
At least 15 civilians have been killed in northern Burkina Faso during an attack attributed to jihadists, the government said Saturday. "The provisional toll mentions 15 dead, wounded and people missing as well as significant material damage," said communications...
Niger: Refugee camp in the Tahoua attacked, three killed
Jihadists carried out a coordinated attack on a camp housing thousands of Malian refugees in western Niger, killing three civilians, abducting a guard and sabotaging the water supply, the United Nations said Monday. Around 50 jihadists launched a "well-planned...
Libya: Russia may be escalating conflict in Libya with more support for warlord Haftar
Berlin, May 26, 2020 - Russia recently sent fighter jets to Libya to support Russian mercenaries fighting for strongman Khalifa Haftar, the US military command for Africa (Africom) said Tuesday, in a major escalation in the long-running conflict. The military fighter...
Libya: Warlord Haftar’s IEDs kill civilians in southern Tripoli
Tripoli, May 26, 2020 - The United Nations has deplored the "grotesque" use of improvised explosive devices against civilians in Libya's capital Tripoli, the scene of more than a year of deadly fighting. The UN mission in Libya said it "strongly condemns these acts,...
Burkina Faso: Al-Qaeda-affiliate claims responsibility for attack in Loroum
Ouagadougou, May 20, 2020 - Two Burkina Faso soldiers and five civilian defence volunteers have been killed during an ambush on a military patrol in the restive north of the country, security sources said Tuesday. The attack occurred on Monday as soldiers from the...
Niger: Insurgents attack Blabrine base near Diffa town
Niamey, May 19, 2020 - Twelve soldiers have been killed in a Boko Haram attack on a military outpost in Niger's Diffa region, scene of recent clashes with jihadist fighters, the defence ministry said Tuesday. The attack by "Boko Haram terrorists" overnight Monday on...